Memories
by Of Perspicacity
Summary: Katara experiences an accident and as a result loses all memory of each of her friends except for Sokka. She slowly re-learns about each of them, but it leaves her torn between Aang and Zuko. Set between "The Southern Raiders" and "The Ember Island Players" *I do not own ATLA or these characters*


Katara groaned as she began to regain consciousness and her head began to throb. All she remembered was the sharp crack of her head against a rock, and then everything had gone black. Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight. She was looking up into the concerned gray-brown eyes of a boy with a blue arrow painted - no, tattooed - onto his shaved head. Her eyes snapped open and she jerked herself out of his arms, dragging herself across the sand a few feet.

"Who are you?" She gasped. She jumped to her feet as a wave of dizziness swept over her, turning her legs to the same consistency as the water she bent. As she began to collapse, another pair of arms caught her. "Sok-" she began to say her brother's name, relieved that at least he was here with her, when she turned to look into the gold-flecked eyes of the boy who had his arms around her. He was most definitely not Sokka. She recoiled yet again, stumbling away as she took in the face with a dark scar covering half of it.

"Who ARE you?" she demanded yet again as - finally - Sokka's voice carried across the beach.

"Katara!" He was running to her, trailed behind by two girls, one with shoulder length brown hair and a kind smile, and one with black hair pulled into a headband secured with two pom-poms and green eyes somehow clouded.

"Katara!" he said again as he reached her and pulled her into his arms. She allowed herself to collapse against him, resting her pounding head on his chest. "What happened?" he demanded of the shorter boy, the one with arrows, she now saw, decorating not only his head but also his arms and legs.

"We were just surfing" he gestured to the forgotten and melting makeshift surfboards apparently bent from ice. Was he a water bender too? "A wave came up behind her, I tried to warn her, to bend it away, but it happened too quickly. She didn't even have time to react. She lost her balance and-" he gulped, "She fell and hit her head on one of those rocks. I got her here to shore and tried to bend as much water as I could out of her lungs, but I was afraid she wouldn't wake up. But now she doesn't know who I am! Or Zuko, apparently." He gestured towards the boy with the scar.

The genuine concern in his voice warmed Katara some, but his story puzzled her. How could they have been surfing together, having fun together, if she didn't even know the boy? And who were the others? Sokka seemed to know them all. He gently pulled her away from his body to look into her eyes.

"Katara," he said softly, "You really don't know them? Aang" he pointed to the tattooed boy, "and Zuko?" The scarred boy looked at her with a surprising amount of concern in his eyes- that, and something else. Katara shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry," she glanced at the tattooed boy again and he was twisting his fingers together nervously but he gave her a kind smile. "And who are they?" She gestured to the girls. Sokka looked at her with a small amount of disbelief.

"Suki," he pointed to the girl with the kind smile, "And Toph" he pointed to the cloudy-eyed girl.

"Is she..." Katara's voice trailed off. She'd been about to ask if Toph was blind, but not knowing someone was not an excuse to ask rude questions in their presence.

"I'm blind." Toph supplemented matter-of-factly. "But I'm an earth bender, so I can see with my feet." She explained. Katara gave a small smile before realizing with a slight blush that she couldn't see it.

"Thank you." She said. Toph was the only one who seemed to care to explain the things Katara didn't know, but judging by the expression on her brother's face, should know.

Aang was the next to step up and add another piece to the puzzle. "I'm Aang. I'm an air nomad, but I'm also the Avatar." The awe must have shown on Katara's face because he flushed slightly and smiled bashfully before continuing. "You and Sokka found me in an iceberg, where I'd been for 100 years. Then we- we had all these adventures together. You taught me to waterbend. I-" He paused as if uncertain whether to share what was going to come next. "I'm going to defeat the fire lord and end the war." Katara still didn't know him, but she could tell those were not the words he'd been planning to say originally.

"Oh," Katara wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "Well, I hope you beat him. I hope I can remember…" a troubled look passed over her face. She so desperately wanted to remember these people, but would she ever? Right now, she was just so tired. And her head continued to pound.

"I think she needs to rest." Sokka interjected. He carried her back to what must have been their camp. There was a fire smoldering in a ring and a huge furry – something - lay beside it. It let out a low growl and turned its head toward Katara. She gasped, gripping Sokka's neck tighter.

"It's just Appa, Aang's air-bison. You've flown on him hundreds of times." Sokka explained to soothe her. "Toph, can you make an earth tent?" Katara watched in awe as Toph stomped one foot on the ground and a tent of rock sprung up. Sokka carried her inside and Zuko followed with some boughs to make a bed for her. He carefully arranged them and Sokka gently laid her on the makeshift cot. Normally Katara would hate to be babied like this, but at the moment she was too weak to care.

"It's kinda dark in here," Sokka said, looking towards Zuko. He nodded and a flame sprung from his palm which he used to light a small pile of branches. Katara's eyes widened. A firebender? Here? And she was _friends_ with him? The fire nation had killed her mother. That much she could remember. What had brought her to trust a firebender? She wished more than ever that she could have her memory back.

Sokka must have seen the look on her face. "Zuko, I don't think you've, ah, re-introduced yourself to Katara," he said. Before Zuko could begin Sokka added, "Zuko is a very powerful ally for us and has become a very close friend." He looked like he wanted to say more but refrained.

"I'm Zuko," the scarred teenager began, though she knew his name by now. "I'm sorry to say that I wasn't always your ally and friend, but I believe in your cause and I've decided to train the Avatar in firebending and help in whatever way I can to defeat my father." As soon as the words left his mouth his eyes widened and Katara knew he'd let something out he'd never meant to share.

"Your… Father?" She asked incredulously. It was true that her brain was a bit fuzzy, but could he mean that his father was the fire lord?

"Yes." He admitted carefully. "Fire Lord Ozai is my father. But I want you to know that I never agreed with his methods and his morals, or lack therof" he spat out. And with the way he spoke those words, Katara felt herself begin to trust him as surely as she must have before.

"Well, It's nice to meet you. Again. It's obvious you're nothing like your father." Katara felt silly after saying it, but she'd felt she had to say something.

"Anyway," Sokka interrupted, "I guess Suki is the only one you haven't really, um… met." Zuko stood and left the tent, presumably to find Suki. The way Sokka had smiled when he said her name made Katara raise a questioning eyebrow. Sokka just blushed and Katara couldn't help but chuckle. So her brother was in love. With a start, Katara wondered if she was in love with one of those boys. Was it Aang, the one with the kind smile and quiet ways? Or was it Zuko, the one with a scarred face and fire behind his eyes?

Before Katara could bring it up with Sokka, Suki stepped into the tent. "Hello Katara," she said softly as Sokka put his arm casually around her. "I'm Suki. I'm a member of the Kyoshi warriors, a team of women who use martial arts to fight. And-" She glanced quickly at Sokka who must've given her approval in his eyes to say what she wanted to next. "I'm also your brother's girlfriend," she added with a slight flush in her face.

Katara smiled at her. "Suki, I'm so glad to know you. I only wish I could remember you…" Katara rubbed her forehead, perhaps trying to bring her memories back to the forefront.

"Well, we should probably let you rest. Maybe tomorrow you'll have your memory back." Sokka stood and Suki followed suit. "Goodnight, Katara. I'll be back to check on you later."

"Goodnight" Katara murmured, already feeling herself drift off. Sokka and Suki left the tent, leaving her to her sleep.

What she presumed was much later that night, Katara woke, thirsty. She was startled to see the young Avatar sitting near her, legs crossed and eyes closed. Perhaps he was meditating? When she stirred, his eyes snapped open.

"Oh, Katara, you're awake. I hope I didn't disturb you. I just – had to make sure you were all right." The look in his eyes made her heart skip in her chest for a moment. Perhaps he was the one she loved?

"It's okay. I wanted a drink-" and almost before the words had left her mouth he brought a cup to her lips filled with cold water. She drank gratefully and when the cup was empty leaned back on the cot. She felt suddenly brave, so she brought up what had been on her mind. "So, earlier today when you were explaining to me who you were… You were going to say something and then stopped. What was it?" She waited breathlessly for his reply.

"Well," he flushed a deep pink. "A few weeks ago, right before our group split up on an invasion, I-" he paused as if working up the courage to finish his sentence. "I kissed you. And you kissed me back. And neither of us has brought it up since but I thought, it's stupid, but I thought maybe it could help jog your memory." He looked at her, gauging her response.

Katara felt a flutter in her heart once again, but that was all. There was no triggering of her memories. Still, it had been brave of him to bring it up. And it was obvious he cared about her deeply. In fact, he seemed to be someone Katara could see herself caring about. She reached up to rest her palm on his cheek and he flushed again. "Aang, you're very sweet. But I just don't know how I really feel about you. How the real me feels about you. One thing I do know is I enjoy your company. I wouldn't mind talking more. Later." There was just so much to process right now.

"Okay," came his soft reply. "I'll come back tomorrow morning. Sleep well, Katara." And with that he leaned down, planted a kiss on her cheek and was gone. Katara lay staring into the semi-darkness, Aang's big, kind eyes filling her mind.

She must have drifted off again because when she woke the earliest glow of sunrise was just sneaking through the cracks of the tent. The first thing she did was test her memory. Aang? Besides the conversation of the night before, of which her brashness brought a slight blush to her face, there was nothing. Zuko? He was just a boy with a scar and gold-flecked eyes. Toph? Rough around the edges. Unfamiliar. Suki? Her brother's girlfriend she'd met the night before. She sat up and rested her head in her hands, frustrated.

The movement brought another wave of dizziness, and she remained that way for a few more moments to gain her composure. When she lifted her head, she was surprised to see a figure standing in the doorway.

"Can I come in?" Though she'd half expected it to be Aang, Zuko's voice was the one that had spoken.

"Sure." She didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep again anyway, and the company sure would be nice. He came through the doorway and sat next to her, drawing his knees to his chin. She couldn't help but compare it with the easy way Aang had sat next to her hours earlier, legs crossed. She blinked quickly and dismissed the thought. "Why are you up so early?" She asked.

"I rise with the sun." Came his simple reply. "I thought I'd check on you. I guess I didn't really expect you to be awake. But since you were…" The two sat in silence for a few moments before Zuko continued. "I couldn't sleep well last night. I couldn't help thinking that while what I told you yesterday was the truth, it wasn't the whole truth." He took a deep breath, and it was clear to Katara that it took an incredible amount of courage for Zuko to be having this conversation with her.

"The truth is that I had the opportunity to join you long before I took it. We- you and I- we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se and we spoke. We connected. I lost my mom too, and as twisted as it sounds, the Fire Nation took her away from me as well. Then Azula, my sister, she gave me the opportunity to join her in defeating Aang. And I took it. She promised me so much and I was blinded by those promises. Everything I thought I'd ever wanted was so close. My father's approval. My honor. So I turned against you. We hurt Aang so badly we were convinced for a while that he was dead. As it turns out, you healed him with Spirit Water from the North Pole.

"Anyway, even when I had what I wanted, I couldn't help but feel more and more empty inside. I'd betrayed my uncle. I'd betrayed you, someone whose face I couldn't get out of my mind." With that he brought his fingertips to his mouth, once again having let too much spill out. It seemed a habit of his. Still, at his words Katara's heart skipped a beat. For the first time she considered that maybe, Aang wasn't the one she truly loved after all.

Zuko's story continued after a lengthy pause. "Finally I'd had enough. During the invasion, I confronted my father and left, determined to help the Avatar defeat him so that I could become the Fire Lord that he never was. I finally found your little group at the Western Air Temple. Of course I wasn't accepted immediately, but it took you quite a bit longer to trust me than the others. I can't blame you really. I deserved it." He hung his head for a few moments and Katara felt that her heart might break at his confession. This golden eyed boy was so deserving of her trust, and she almost hated herself because at one time she had withheld it.

"The thing that brought you to trust me was when I agreed to take you to the man who had killed your mother." At this Katara's head was swimming with questions. Who was he? Had she killed him? How had she even had the strength to look him in the eye? Zuko's story continued, answering some of her questions. "You didn't kill him as I'd expected. In the end, for some reason, you had mercy on him, and I've always admired you for that. After the trip, you finally trusted me, and I am so grateful for our friendship."

Katara's breath caught at the tender look in Zuko's eyes as he looked down at her. He reached toward her and for a moment she expected him to take her into his arms but all he did was carefully brush a piece of hair from her face. She was surprised that a firebender's touch could be so gentle. She reached up and held his hand against her cheek for a few moments. The surprise in his face soon turned to a tender smile and slight blush. His fingertips caressed her forehead once more before he slowly stood.

"I hear the others stirring. I should go prepare the morning fire for breakfast." As he turned to go, Katara stopped him.

"Wait. Zuko. Later on, we could talk again. If you'd like, I mean. It might help my memory."

"I'd like that," he softly replied as he turned to go.

Katara wondered what she'd done. Two boys, both clearly very dear to her in some way. She sincerely hoped that she wasn't leading them on because she realized she couldn't bear to see either of them hurt.

Interrupting her thoughts, Sokka came into the tent with breakfast. "How are you feeling today, Katara? Your memory…?" She only shook her head. "Yikes. That bump on your head looks pretty nasty." Though he only touched it very slightly, Katara winced at the shot of pain that went through her. "Anyway, if you're hungry I brought you some breakfast."

Katara eyed the eggs and fruit in the bowl he handed her and decided she was starving. "Thanks, Sokka." She began to eat and he sat with her. She was glad for the company, but couldn't help wishing that he'd sent Aang to bring her breakfast. Or Zuko. The confusion she felt welling up within her made the dull ache in her head begin to pound all over again. She decided she needed to keep her mind off it for the time being.

"Sokka… do you think I'll ever get my memory back?" She was almost scared to hear what he'd answer.

"Of course. I've heard of this happening before. It should last a few days, tops." After a few moments he added, "I can't imagine, not knowing anyone. I'm glad you remember me, anyway." He smiled down at her, "You're not completely alone."

She grinned back. "Thanks Sokka. I love you." They were words she didn't say much, but she appreciated him so much more when he was the only familiar thing in a world that seemed to shift like the tides.

"I love you too, Katara. And you should rest now. Oh, Aang asked if he could come visit after breakfast. You up for it?"

Of course she was up for it! But all she replied was, "Yes, that would be nice." She didn't know why she felt the need to choose between the two because she was sure that once she got her memory back she'd have a much more definite opinion, but she sure did enjoy spending time with them. Sokka got up, taking her empty breakfast bowl with him, and soon after he left Aang stepped through her door carrying a bowl of water. She couldn't help but grin as he took his spot next to her, legs crossed and hands folded between them. He carefully set the bowl of water between them.

"Hi Katara. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "A little better I guess. My head-" She gestured to the knot that had formed there and as her fingers brushed against it she winced, clenching her eyes shut for a few moments. When she opened them again, Aang was looking at her with such tenderness in his eyes that she blushed. He quickly pushed the bowl towards her.

"I thought maybe you could try healing yourself. Do you- do you remember how to bend?" Katara smiled at him, his thoughtfulness.

"Yes. I can give it a try." She drew the water from the bowl and swirled it onto the tender bump on the side of her head. Aang watched, slightly mesmerized, so though she couldn't see it Katara knew the water was glowing blue. She could feel the coolness slowly seeping through the wound and though she couldn't see the glow fading she felt the power slowly leaving the water. She guided it back to the bowl, careful to keep it from splashing on her bed, and carefully sat up.

A smile spread across her face as she realized the dizziness was gone. She cautiously reached up to touch her head and broke into a full grin as she realized the lump had completely shrunken away.

"It worked!" she celebrated as she threw her arms around Aang's neck. Though he seemed shocked at first he was quick to reach his arms around her and hold her close to him.

"Your memory?" he softly spoke into her ear. Katara pulled back, scanning her mind quickly.

"No." the grin fell from her face.

"Hey, it's all right. You'll get there. Maybe tomorrow." The half grin he sent her way made Katara's heart flutter again. Something tried to push its way to the forefront of her mind but she couldn't bring it from the shadows. A troubled look must have crossed her face because Aang stood to leave.

"I should let you rest now. But I'm so glad your head is better! I was so scared I'd lost you." He admitted, blushing.

"Well you didn't. Thanks a lot, Aang." Katara found herself wishing that Aang truly was the one she loved. He was sweet and thoughtful. And the Avatar. If she was being completely shallow, that certainly didn't hurt. Aang left her to her daydreams and Katara was lost in a reverie until Sokka interrupted.

"Katara, Aang told us what happened. That's fantastic!" He pulled her into a quick hug. "I'm sure after a good night's rest you'll be good as new!" He grinned. "Wanna join us for lunch?"

"I'd love to!" Katara was quick to answer. Being cooped up in the earthen tent had only made her restless. Especially now that she was feeling so much better. She stepped into the sunlight and found the group sitting around a fire on the beach and waiting for her. She took a seat between Toph and Sokka and Toph lightly punched her on the shoulder.

"Glad you're feeling better, Sugar Queen." Katara's eye's slightly widened at the nickname. This Toph girl sure wasn't one for propriety. After recovering from the surprise Katara managed a small chuckle. Looking around her eyes met the golden intensity of Zuko's. A slight blush spread across her cheeks before she could stop herself and she smiled softly at him.

Spirits, even with her head wound healed, she was still feeling terribly confused. And acting in a way she was sure was completely unlike herself, though she had only a vague idea of who she really was. She determined to pay as little attention as possible to both Aang and Zuko as individuals and instead to spend time having fun with the people she somehow knew were her closest friends.

Later that evening she returned to her earth tent. Sokka insisted that she spend another night there, even though she'd much rather sleep under the stars in the fresh air. She fluffed up her makeshift bed and when she turned around jumped to find that Zuko stood in her doorway again.

"Hi, you scared me!" she motioned for him to come in.

"Sorry, Katara. I didn't mean to. I just- I thought you might want to talk again." He reached up to rub the back of his neck and his hair fell across his eyes in a certain way that left Katara momentarily breathless.

"Sure. Sit down." He took a cross-legged position this time, more relaxed than the last, and Katara mirrored him. A slightly uncomfortable silence followed as the two watched each other quietly. Zuko spoke first.

"Katara, there were some things I didn't get to say last night. Things that are hard for me to say, but that I think you should know. That trip completely changed the way I look at you. I always saw you as the motherly one, the one who held every one together. The one who was stubborn. Determined to hate me. But then I saw this opportunity, this crack in your armor. And I guess I wanted to be the one to help you mend it so that maybe you'd learn to see me differently. I guess I explored your weak spot with you so that you would understand mine."

Katara was left speechless. Zuko was opening up to her, showing her a side she felt that, even including her veiled memories, she'd never seen before. The fact that he was brave enough to share it with her made her melt. "Zuko, I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how much that means to me." She said softly, reaching out to hug him. With some hesitation he returned the hug, drawing her into him and holding her against his chest for a few moments before releasing her. The grin on his face was as bright as any fire he could bend from his fingertips.

Soon enough, Zuko reluctantly stood and declared that it was time for him to get to bed. He explained that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep much past the sunrise. He always felt the jolt of power within him as the source of his bending rose into the sky.

"Goodnight, Katara. I hope your memory comes back tomorrow." He let his fingertips brush her cheek before he turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Zuko. I'll see you tomorrow." Katara watched as he left. Her heart didn't return to its normal patterns for quite some time. Thoughts of Aang only complicated matters further. She finally decided to do her best to put aside her confusion and try to fall asleep and rest her mind.

When Katara woke the next morning, she ran through her mental checklist and was ecstatic to find that her memories had returned. Suki and Toph, her friends, who had been so kind to her even when she couldn't remember them. Appa- how could she have been frightened of him? The first thing she wanted to do was bury her face in his fur.

The confusion of the past two days was coming back as well. She thought of Aang, the young air bender she considered her best friend who had taken on such an incredible amount of responsibility in his young age but still managed to hang onto his almost-childlike joy and wonder. Next she thought of Zuko, the boy who had sacrificed so much to help Aang, whose scar was merely a part of who he was and not a hideous marring of his face, the "dishonorable" young fire prince who'd taught her so much about true honor. And she knew without a doubt which one she loved.


End file.
